France at the Stoop

Rugby at the Stoop

Toulon v Biarritz at the Stoop, Harlequins ground tonight. Like a French invasion. Full brass band in regional costume. Face-paint. What a wonderful atmosphere the packed stands must be generating for the teams to play in. The first half has been a kicking contest between the teams, accumulating points three at a time. Vachvily and Wilkinson slugging it out. It’s drizzling and handling is becoming more difficult, and the second half’s going to be interesting. What a wonderful bonus on a Friday night.

Test match

Strauss waits an age for a ton then gets one when the anticipation and emotion has reached fever-pitch. Great. He’s impossible to dislike. Absolutely honest, no mind games and no media manipulation, he’s captained the side with quiet dignity and more importantly to great success. We are now (very narrowly) the top cricket nation. Every player in that squad seems able to provide articulate interviews laced with humour. Our rugby and cricket teams are much easier to get behind than our footballers are.

Thinkin en Scoach, likesay

Here the joke that keeps coming to mind:

“Whaes tha difference between Walt ‘n Bing?”

“Bing sings, an’ Walt dis’nae”.

I’ve ended up thinking in the accent after 300 to 350 Irvine Welsh pages. I’m now around 450 of 550, and I’m sure a scan would show my brain rewiring synapses from English to Scoach schemie likesay, but.